15 May 2013

Highlighting Emma Rosi-Marshall's Work on Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Streams

Dr.
Emma Rosi-Marshall conducts research on factors that control and influence
ecosystem function in human-dominated ecosystems.Freshwater is one of our most vital and
threatened resources. Understanding how
human-driven global change impacts freshwater ecosystem function is essential.Dr. Rosi-Marshall’s research focuses on
several aspects of human modifications to freshwater ecosystems.These include land use change and
restoration, widespread agriculture and associated crop byproducts,
urbanization and the release of novel contaminants, and hydrologic modification
associated with dams.

Emma
is conducting pioneering research on the effects of pharmaceuticals—both legal
and illicit—and of personal care products on the functioning of streams.
These chemicals in daily use for therapeutic, cosmetic, and recreational
purposes, have been known to occur in streams for a long time. However,
Emma’s research is discovering an increasing breadth of such compounds that can
be found in streams in cities and suburbs, as well as rural and exurban
areas. More importantly, her research is among the first to explore just
how these increasingly common chemicals can affect the structure of aquatic communities and the functioning of stream ecosystems.

Some
of Emma’s research is conducted in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, and she has
been named Director Designate. She is currently part of the leadership
team of BES, and will take over directorship of the project in 2016.